Cleaning chemicals cause car explosion

March 6, 2009

MEMPHIS, TN — A cleaning supervisor is recovering from injuries sustained when her car exploded after fumes from cleaning chemicals in her trunk ignited when she attempted to light a cigarette, according to WLMT-TV.

Monique Hicks, who suffered first and second degree burns on her face and arms, was able to walk out of the hospital hours after being treated, the story stated.

Hicks was attempting to leave an office park to go clean another office building but was having problems starting her car. That is when she tried lighting a cigarette, triggering the explosion that eyewitnesses say "sounded like a bomb going off," the story noted.

According to the story, police initially did not know what had caused the explosion so they called in the bomb squad with its special robot to check out the car. After evacuating the nearby office building, the FBI questioned employees in the parking lot who helped in determining the cleaning chemical connection to the explosion.

Monique is a workaholic and is planning to be back on the job in a couple of days, the story added.

Janice Hicks, Monique''s mother-in-law, said: "We can always replace a car, and that''s no problem. We won''t be hauling chemicals in cars anymore."